Chip was born in 1966 in Oskaloosa, Iowa. He grew up on a small farm, raised by his parents, Dale and Edith. Dale has been a self-employed contractor for over 40 years, and Edith spent those years raising children, running the business part of Dale’s construction business, and involved in many community organizations. Chip has a sister who lives in Oelwein and a brother who lives in Kansas City.

Chip attended Oskaloosa Senior High School, from where he graduated in 1984. He obtained his bachelor’s degree with honors in Business Administration from Iowa State University in 1988, majoring in finance and minoring in economics. Chip received a Juris Doctorate degree from the University of Minnesota Law School, graduating cum laude in 1993.

Following graduation from law school, Chip practiced law in Minneapolis, before moving to Boone, where he joined the Quinn, Doran & Anderson law firm in 1996. Chip became a partner in the Doran, Anderson & Baltimore law firm in 2000. During his years as a private practice attorney, Chip developed a wide and diverse practice, representing clients from many different backgrounds, including injured individuals, local families, children in need of a voice in the legal system, farmers, small businesses, taxpayers, city governments and school districts, and court-appointed individuals.

In 2006, Chip left private practice and joined Boone Bank & Trust Co. as in-house counsel, vice-president and trust officer. In this position, Chip is entrusted with the assets of many individuals, trusts, businesses, non-profit organizations, and government entities.

Chip married his wife, Diana, in 1989. Diana obtained her doctoral degree in Human Development and Family Studies at Iowa State University in the fall of 2010, where she is also conducting research on the societal impacts of adoption. They have two children, Blake and Danielle. The family belongs to Sacred Heart Catholic Church in Boone.

Chip has a significant history of public service to his community. Throughout his many years in Boone, Chip has been actively involved with many charitable organizations and community events. Chip currently serves as a director and officer of a county-wide economic development group, Boone’s Future, and is President of the Boone County Community Endowment Fund. Chip helped raise funds for the Central Iowa Expo, an event that brings farmers and agricultural businesses to Boone from around the world. Chip coached Little League for several years, and served as a coach and umpire for the Babe Ruth baseball league. Chip has served as President of the Retired & Seniors Volunteer Program, as a board member of the Boone Area Chamber of Commerce, as a member of the Sacred Heart Church Finance Committee, and as a director of the Boone chapter of the Central Iowa Hospice.